Orders fall ten percent
Manufacturers of equipment used to make semiconductors saw orders fall 10 percent, according to a U.S. trade group.
Semiconductors Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) said that the book-to-bill ratio, which compares volume of orders to products shipped, reached a low 0.81 in September. This seems to indicate that chipmakers are not investing in new equipment and could suggest a future slow down in the industry.
SEMI says that sales were down by a quarter from last year.